2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Idicula
A surname derived from the Latin word "aedicula" meaning a small house or chapel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Idicula. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Idicula surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Idicula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Idicula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Idicula
The surname IDICULA is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the southern regions of the country. It is thought to have its roots in the Malayalam language, which is spoken predominantly in the state of Kerala. The name IDICULA is likely derived from the Malayalam word "idikka," which means "to place" or "to put down."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname IDICULA can be found in ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions dating back to the 9th century CE. These records mention individuals with this surname residing in the kingdoms of the Chera and Ay dynasties, which ruled over parts of present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
During the medieval period, the IDICULA surname gained prominence among the Nair community, a prominent social group in Kerala. Several historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries mention notable individuals bearing this surname, such as Ravi Idicula, a celebrated warrior and military commander who served under the Kingdom of Calicut.
In the 16th century, the IDICULA surname appeared in Portuguese colonial records, as the Portuguese had established trading outposts along the Malabar Coast. One such record mentions a certain Tomas Idicula, a local interpreter and intermediary who facilitated trade between the Portuguese and the local rulers.
As the centuries progressed, the IDICULA surname spread to other parts of India, particularly among the Christian communities of the subcontinent. One notable figure was Joseph Idicula (1709-1788), a prominent Catholic priest and educationist who established several schools and churches in the region of Travancore (present-day Kerala).
Another notable individual was Mariam Idicula (1805-1875), a renowned poet and scholar who contributed significantly to the literary traditions of the Malayalam language. Her works, which included poems and translations of religious texts, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
In more recent times, the IDICULA surname has gained international recognition through individuals such as Dr. Joy Idicula (1932-2011), a renowned Indian-American physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.
It is worth noting that the surname IDICULA has also been spelled in various ways throughout history, such as Idikula, Idikkula, and Edicula, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations within the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Idicula
Among Census respondents with the surname Idicula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Idicula bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Idicula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander99.0% · 104
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Idicula
Idicula appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Idicula surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Idicula bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Idicula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Idicula?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Idicula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Idicula?
Idicula ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Idicula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Idicula.
Has Idicula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Idicula went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Idicula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Idicula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Idicula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Idicula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (99.0%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Idicula (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Idicula mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "aedicula" meaning a small house or chapel. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Idicula (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Idicula?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Idicula at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.